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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rock — music
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. face — to confront
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rock — a stone
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com